Electric iron



July 18, 1933.

R. FLEMING ELECTRIC IRON Filed Jan. '7, 1931 Patented July 18, 1933 PATENT OFFICE ROBERT FLEMING, OF WHANGAR-EI, NEVJ ZEALAND ELECTRIC IRON Application filed January 7, 1931, Serial No. 507,130, and in New Zealand September 22, 1930.

This invention has been devised with the object of providing improved attachments to electric irons of the ordinary type, whereby provision is made to automatically control the heating current supply to the iron so that such supply will be cut in through the action of the users hand when grasping the handle, and will be cut out when the hand grasp is released. This will serve to ensure that the current will be cut out when the iron is left idle and thus no danger of fire or other dan1- age that may arise through overheating of the iron, is likely to occur. The means devised, however, include means for locking the control in the position in which the current supply is cut in, so that the iron may be left for its initial heating.

In givin effect to the invention, the usual cord plug fitting of the iron is made to slide into the socket containing terminal blocks, and is itself made with terminal blocks which 'engage'those of the socket when the plug is pushed iii, and free them when drawn out. This plug is then connected to a lever extending along above the iron handle from its front to its rear, that is pivoted at its front end to turn up and down, and is attached at its rear end to the plug, so that by turning it up, the plug is lifted to free the terminal contacts, and by turning it down, the plug is forced down to cause these contacts to engage and to complete the supply circuit. The lever is spring controlled to be normally forced up to break the circuit, but is designed to be pressed down when the handle is grasped by the hand of the user, to thereby close the circuit and to maintain it closed so long as the encircling grasp continues. WVhen the grasp is released, 40 the spring acting on the lever will force it up, to break the circuit. A catch is provided for locking the lever in the circuit closing position when it is desired to leave the iron with the current turned on, as for the initial heating thereof.

In fully describing the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying sheet of drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an iron with the attachments in position, thereon,

part of the handle and lever being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a front end elevation thereof. Figure '3 is a rear end elevation, the terminal plug and its receiving socket being in section.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional elevation through the handle and the lever, showing the arrangement of the fastening catch.

A is the iron of any usual design having 60 the handle B secured to it by the frame mem-- bers B, and also the socket C at its rear to receive the flex plug D to connect with the electric supply in the well known manner. With the arrangement shown, however, the 65 terminals of the plug and socket respectively, are made as shown in Figure 3, of stud form so that contact is made by pressing the plug in to cause its terminals cl to engage the socket terminals 0 by surface contact therewith and is broken by moving the plug out. They may, though, be made of the usual male and female engaging terminals type. In this invention, also, the plug is made an easy fit within the socket so that it will slide in and out readily.

A lever arm E is provided to extend along above the handle B, its forward end being pivotally attached to a bracket fitting F affixed to that end of the handle. The rear end of the lever is curved downwardly alongside the rear of the handle, and is then suitably fastened to the plug D, as for instance by being forked at its end to overlap the respective ends of the plug and having its forks attached to the corresponding ends of a band G that encircles the plug. The upward and downward movements of the lever upon its pivot are designed to respectively lift the plug, and to depress the plug within the socket, to cut out, and to cut in, the current supply by breaking and making contact between the terminals (1 and 0.

The portion of the lever extending over the handle is preferably bent into the half round cross sectional shape shown in the drawing, in order that it will fit over the upper half of the handle and thereby be suitable and comfortable to the users hand when the handle is grasped to work the iron.

The bracket fitting F is extended downwardly, and at its lower end, is widened out to project on both sides beyond the edges of the handle carrying frame B at that end, as shown more particularly in Figure 2. There is also aflixed to the lever arm E, at a short distance from its pivot, a double bell, crank extension J passing downwardly upon the respective sides of the handle and in front of the corresponding side edges of the lower end of the bracket F. A horizontal rod K is affixed to each end of the divided bell crank J and passes rearwardly and loosely through the bracket F. The helical spring M is arranged in compression upon each rod K between the .bell crank and the bracket, and these springs therefore act to normally raise the lever arm E so that the plug D is lifted in the socket C, to break the supply connection in the manner required.

The springs M are made of just sufficient strength to raise the lever arm and plug so that their force may be quite easily overcome by the pressure of the usual hand encircling grip upon the iron handle B as it is grasped in the use of the iron, and thereby to force the lever arm and plug down in the required manner to make the circuit connection and to maintain it in such position. Immediately this downward pressure on the lever arm is eased, the springs will lift it to the raised position again.

The lever arm E is formed with a short slot N disposed in its top, at about midway in its length, and a small hook O is let into the top of the handle B and pivoted therein. This hook may be caused to pass up through the slot N when the lever arm is depressed, and then be turned to engage the lever arm at one end of the slot, to thereby retain it in the depressed position. By these means provision is made for the current supply being left on when the iron is idle and required to be heated, as for instance when the iron is standing on its heel for the preliminary heating thereof.

The spring control for the lever arm may be varied from that shown in the drawing, as other spring means may be readily devised and adapted whereby the arm may be kept normally raised, without departing from the general nature of the invention.

I claim In an electric iron having a terminal-com taining socket and a supply plug in said socket, a lever-arm disposed above the handle, one end of said lever projecting beyond the front end of the handle, a member attached to said handle .thereat and extending substantially vertically, said lever being pivoted to said member, the lower end of said member being bifurcated, a double bell-crank memher having a crank extending between each fork of said bifurcated member, the other crank. being attached to said lever, a compression member on the horizontal arm of the crank, the other end of said lever-arm being directly and positively connected to the upper end of said plu RoBEfiT FLEMING. 

